Sanyoso, a traditional inn located in Izu-Nagaoka Onsen (Izunokuni City, Shizuoka Prefecture), is hosting a limited-time Japanese Garden Café throughout June 2026. The café takes place inside the inn's main building — a structure registered as a national tangible cultural property — offering guests an opportunity to enjoy local tea and sweets while looking out over a sweeping historic Japanese garden.
The concept is a summer alternative to strolling the garden on foot: rather than walking the garden paths in the heat, visitors can sit in the cool interior of the historic building and take in the lush green scenery at their own pace. The experience is open not only to overnight guests but to day visitors as well.
Highlights of the Japanese Garden Café
A special time in a registered cultural property
The café is held inside a nationally registered tangible cultural property, offering a quiet, contemplative moment surrounded by history.
A new way to experience the garden in summer
Instead of walking under the summer sun, guests can appreciate the garden scenery from a cool, serene indoor setting — a "viewing the garden" experience rather than a "walking the garden" one.
Local tea and sweets for a taste of the season
The café menu features locally sourced tea and confectionery, letting visitors enjoy the flavors of the region alongside the summer atmosphere.
Event Details
- Dates: June 1 (Mon) to June 30 (Tue), 2026 ※Closed on June 15 and 16
- Venue: Sanyoso Main Building, Izu-Nagaoka Onsen
- Hours: 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
- Price: ¥2,000 per person (includes Japanese garden admission, tea, sweets, consumption tax, and service charge)
- Reservations: Required — bookings open from 10:00 AM on May 1, 2026 (Fri)
- Enquiries: TEL: 055-947-1111 (reception hours: 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM)
About the Sanyoso Main Building
The main building of Sanyoso was originally constructed in 1929 as the private villa of Hisaya Iwasaki, eldest son of Iwasaki Yataro, founder of the Mitsubishi financial group. Built in a refined sukiya-zukuri style of Japanese architecture within an expansive Japanese garden designed by Kyoto garden master Ogawa Jihei, the estate was a testament to the refined tastes of its time. In June 2017, the Agency for Cultural Affairs designated the building as a nationally registered tangible cultural property.
The seven structures included in the designation are: the entrance and tea room wing, the guest room wing, the central wing, the living room and study wing, the imperial guest room, the waiting room, and the garden gate.
About the Japanese Garden
The Japanese garden at Sanyoso is an approximately 3,000-tsubo (roughly 9,900 sq meters) stroll garden centered on a pond, created by renowned Kyoto garden master Ogawa Jihei. The garden changes with the seasons, offering a different face of natural beauty throughout the year. The sounds of wind, birdsong, and the play of light across the water's surface all add to its tranquil atmosphere.
